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Former All Whites soccer player Sam Malcolmson said he saw trees and bushes bending over when the wind struck around 1.20pm.

The mini-tornado blew tiles off his roof, creating two holes, one which was a metre and a half wide.

Alistair Tolmie, manager at the Warkworth information centre, told NZPA there was a huge torrential downpour, and the sky was black and heavy.

Fire communications shift manager Steve Smith said fire crews were called out to one property in Warkworth to stabilise a roof.

Fire crews also attended wind and weather-related incidents in Whakatane and Ohope.

Weatherwatch.co.nz analyst Phillip Duncan said a band of active thunderstorms was moving towards the Whakatane and eastern Bay of Plenty region and another band of thunderstorms was moving from King Country to the Central Plateau.